Host Dr. Liz Brooke and Washington kick off the new season of the All For Literacy podcast with a thought-provoking conversation about language variation and literacy rates. A professor in the School of Education at the University of California – Irvine, Washington shares her expertise about how dialect variation and density, code-switching, and translanguaging play into literacy assessment and success. 

Learn ways to help students boost their literacy success through:

• Using the full spectrum of their language skills

Washington and Brooke also present a fascinating look into the syntax behind the reading wars, and whether or not “the reading revolution” is a more accurate label. Listeners will better understand how initial terminology can influence a society’s approach to solving or interacting with a concept. 

Dr. Brooke kicks off the latest season of All For Literacy, and walk away with an in-depth look into how dialect and language interplay with literacy acquisition in the classroom. And as a bonus, use this related infographic to start a conversation within your learning community. 

Episode Breakdown

(00:30) – What sparked Washington’s interest in literacy

(03:16) – How she sees her work translating into the classroom

(06:50) – Dialect vs. language variation

(10:03) – Relationship between code switching and translanguaging

(12:43) – Encouraging students to use their full spectrum of skills

(16:00) – Why students need to understand the purpose of the lesson

(21:00) – How language variation affects assessments

(27:10) – The reading revolution

(42:51) – What makes Washington hopeful for the future of literacy and language

As Season 2 of All For Literacy® comes to a close, host Dr. Liz Brooke dives into the challenges and opportunities currently being explored by educators across the country. Featuring insightful clips from discussions with prominent educators, this episode drives home many of the ideas mentioned throughout this season. 

• Empowering teachers through professional development, evidence-backed resources, and accessible data is an important step in implementing the science of reading

A deep understanding of current challenges and opportunities is required to take action and increase student literacy success. Tune in for the final episode of Season 2 to better understand the current issues at the forefront of educators' minds.

What would it take to narrow the knowledge gap between high-achieving and struggling students when it comes to reading and writing? 

Education writer Natalie Wexler joins Host Dr. Liz Brooke in Season 2, Episode 8. Wexler is author of “The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It.” Her writing focuses on content-centric education and charts possible routes to achieving educational and social equity. 

Gain a critical understanding of how content-focused instruction improves student success. Wexler and Brooke break down the findings behind several in-classroom studies that have changed how certain curriculums approach instruction while providing actionable tips for ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to excel.

Explore the impact of content knowledge, including: 

• How teachers can assess if they are narrowing the knowledge gap

Listen to Episode 8 of All For Literacy® to understand how to narrow the knowledge gap, increase student literacy skills, and set up the classroom for equitable education.

“There's nothing that's going to change student achievement more powerfully than the teacher, but it's very difficult for the teacher to do that job if they don't have support from leadership at the top,” Dena Mortensen, Ed.D. explains in Episode 7 of All For Literacy™. 

Mortensen sits down with host Dr. Liz Brooke to discuss a boots-on-the-ground perspective about implementing the science of reading. An elementary reading and language arts supervisor for Waterbury Public Schools in Waterbury, Connecticut, Mortensen offers listeners a detailed look into how the school district is making changes to improve student literacy rates. Mortensen also discusses her involvement with the documentary “Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars,” directed and produced by All For Literacy Episode 6 guest Harvey Hubbell V. 

Mortensen and Brooke explore how to:

• Encourage teachers to adopt the use of progress-monitoring data

Explore the show notes for links to people and resources mentioned in the episode. Subscribe to All For Literacy today and never miss an episode. 

“This has been a long, crazy journey of me trying to figure out what the heck is going on with education,” says Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Harvey Hubbell V in Season 2, Episode 6 of All For Literacy™. 

Hubbell sits down with host Dr. Liz Brooke for an insightful look into how documentary films affect the educational system and the science of reading movement. His company, Captured Time Productions, has released several education-related documentaries, including “Dislecksia: The Movie” which focuses on the misunderstood subject of dyslexia, and “Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars,” which takes a never-before-seen look at the challenging process of learning to read. 

Gain an in-depth understanding of how these documentaries fuel the greater literacy conversation, the critical choices made in each film to tell stories in digestible and impactful ways, and where the next need for advocacy is to make the most significant difference in the lives of students. 

Tune into All For Literacy today to gain an exclusive look at Hubbell’s films, and subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode!

What role can social media play in advancing the science of reading movement?

Recorded live during Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning 2024 in New Orleans, host Dr. Liz Brooke sits down with literacy influencer Jessica Farmer to discuss how social media provides an effective platform for transferring data-backed practices to educators, administrators, and parents. A former first grade teacher, Farmer shares actionable activities and tips with more than 300,000 followers on her Farmer Loves Phonics accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Farmer shares how to:

• Spot literacy misinformation on social media

In this special All For Literacy episode, listeners at the live recording had the opportunity to ask Farmer specific questions about the role of certain platforms in literacy education and enjoy memorable audience interactions. 

Listen to Episode 5 to understand another side of the science of reading movement. And don’t forget to subscribe to All For Literacy and never miss an episode. 

“I can’t talk about how I understand the research without first going into…the history and the experiences of the communities that I’m looking to serve,” Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett says in Season 2, Episode 4 of All For Literacy. Host Dr. Liz Brooke has a compassionate discussion with Generett about understanding the lived experiences of students and educators and how to provide support so both can thrive. 

Generett currently serves as dean, professor, and the Noble J. Dick Endowed Chair of Community Outreach at the School of Education at Duquesne University. Her teaching and research work aim to enhance educators' skills and habits so they can effectively teach diverse populations of students.

Gain thoughtful and research-backed insight into how educators can create truly equitable systems, understand education as a human system, and foster meaningful learning and relationships while considering diverse histories and lived experiences. Educational leaders will especially benefit from Generett’s deep look into her co-authored book, Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership. 

Strengthen your classrooms with useful tips for navigating challenging moments, especially those often exacerbated by the realities of power, privilege, and different lived experiences. 

Episode Breakdown

(01:58) – How Generett’s own educational experience influenced her professional career

Join our community of listeners and never miss an episode. Subscribe to All For Literacy today!

How intrinsically linked are the skills for reading and writing? 

In Season 2, Episode 14 of All For Literacy, Dr. Young-Suk Kim joins host Dr. Liz Brooke for a technically in-depth conversation about the interconnectedness of reading and writing skills. 

In tandem with a provided visual aid, Kim and Brooke deeply explore the Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Writing (DIEW). Proposed by Kim after her extensive research into the subject of literacy, the DIEW model breaks down individual components needed to master writing skills which include reading skills often discussed on All For Literacy. 

After listening, educators and administrators will understand how to: 

• Shape instruction planning around foundational skills 

Kim’s evidence-backed model provides actionable guidance for listeners who want to strengthen reading and writing instruction to best support their students’ entire academic journey. Tune into Episode 14 of All For Literacy for a masterclass on translating the science behind language and literacy development in daily classroom practices. 

“You could have the best curriculum, but without teachers understanding what you're asking of them or why they need to shift their practice, there will always be…distrust in the curriculum,” Rhonda Nelson says in this episode of All For Literacy with host Dr. Liz Brooke. 

Rhonda Nelson is the curriculum instruction and assessment coordinator for the Bettendorf Community School District in Bettendorf, Iowa. Having previously served as a classroom teacher and earned a dyslexia certification, Nelson is now a doctoral candidate in reading science at Mount St. Joseph University.

Nelson brings a boots-on-the-ground viewpoint to All For Literacy for a discussion about critical topics in education:

• Concerning data trends from The Nation’s Report Card

While this episode’s discussion is wide and varied, one common theme emerges—how to best support teachers during adolescent literacy instruction. Tune in for actionable advice derived from a firsthand perspective, and subscribe to All For Literacy to catch new episodes.

Episode Breakdown

(01:43) – Nelson’s journey to her current position 

(09:20) – Current teacher challenges and concerning NAEP data trends

(14:20) – How to best support teachers when implementing evidence-based practices

(18:25) – Importance of shared consensus across classrooms, schools, and districts

(21:10) – Strengthening the relationship between educators and researchers

(26:54) – How Nelson balances educational work with a Master’s program

(30:19) – Impact of COVID and the science of reading on upper elementary and middle school

(34:42) – Content-area teachers and literacy instruction

(44:15) – Hope for the future

(53:45) – Best practices for enriching literacy learning for students

About Rhonda Nelson

Rhonda Nelson is the curriculum instruction and assessment coordinator for the Bettendorf Community School District in Bettendorf, Iowa. Having previously served as a classroom teacher and earned a dyslexia certification, Nelson is now a doctoral candidate in reading science at Mount St. Joseph University.

Mentioned in this Episode

Liz Brooke, X @LizCBrooke

Liz Brooke, LinkedIn

Rhonda Nelson, LinkedIn 

APM Reports — “Hard Words: Why Aren’t Our Kids Being Taught to Read”

APM Reports — “Sold A Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong”

Bettendorf Community School District

The Nation’s Report Card (NAEP Data)

All For Literacy, Episode 2 with Kareem Weaver

All For Literacy, Episode 10 with Dr. Shayne Piasta

Lexia LETRS® Professional Learning

Lexia Aspire™ Professional Learning

The Reading League

International Dyslexia Association®

Are you implementing up-to-date research findings in your school or classroom? 

Season 1 of All For Literacy frequently touched on the issue of connecting educators with new and established research and how to best apply evidence-based findings in the classroom. To kick off Season 2, two influential education researchers join host Dr. Liz Brooke for an enlightening discussion about current research and how findings translate into everyday classroom practices. 

Tune into this episode to hear from Dr. Sharon Vaughn and Dr. Jeanne Wanzek. Vaughn is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and the executive director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin. Wanzek is a professor and Currey-Ingram Endowed Chair in the department of special education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. 

The discussion deeply explores the guests’ areas of research on adolescent and upper-grade literacy, improving interventions with additional components, weaving literacy throughout the entire school day, and Tier 1 instruction. 

Educators will gain evidence-based strategies to implement day to day to strengthen literacy levels across subjects and grade levels. Join Lexia® for an all-new season of All For Literacy, and subscribe to never miss an episode. 

Episode Breakdown

(04:06) – Wanzek’s professional journey

(06:37) – Vaughn’s professional journey 

(12:38) – Wanzek’s and Vaughn’s relationship as mentor and mentee

(17:34) – Takeaways from The Nation’s Report Card results

(21:07) – How to strengthen interventions through strategic integration

(24:28) – How to weave literacy instruction through the whole class schedule

(30:06) – The differences in the science of reading across grade levels

(35:48) – The importance of customization in literacy instruction

(44:00) – Research-based look at Tier 1 instruction

(48:34) – Advice for teachers and hope for the future

Dr. Sharon Vaughn

Dr. Sharon Vaughn is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and the executive director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s currently the principal or co-principal investigator on several research grants for the Institution for Education Sciences, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and the U.S. Department of Education that explore effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and English Language Learners. 

Dr. Jeanne Wanzek

Dr. Jeanne Wanzek is a professor and Currey-Ingram Endowed Chair in the department of special education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on effective reading instruction and intervention for students with reading difficulties and disabilities. Before receiving her doctorate, Wanzek worked as a special educator and an elementary teacher. 

Mentioned in this Episode

Liz Brooke, X @LizCBrooke

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk

Department of Special Education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University

The Nation’s Report Card

Christy Austin

Rachel Donegan